Helpful tips on how restaurants can survive in the digital world

For restaurants to make a transition into the digital world – from traditional advertising methods to LED signs, mobile and online advertising – it is indeed a major challenge. Adding to that is the issue of measuring return on investment when launching a digital campaign.

Experts in the industry share their views on measuring digital ROI.

You are not the only one in this situation

Even though you may feel like you are late to enter the digital world, in reality that is not the case. Many companies are struggling to set up their digital marketing campaigns, including successful electronic displays and mobile apps.

Businesses are pretty much forced to transform into digitalization in order to keep up with trends. Hence it is not easy to integrate all the technological tools to come up with a fully functioning, successful digital world for your business.

Focus on succeeding with one thing

It can be overwhelming for a restaurant to digest all the technology included in menu boards, social media and artificial intelligence. Therefore experts recommend that restaurants should focus on one thing at a time, improvise on that and then move on to the next. This strategy is much better than trying to manage several digital initiatives at once and causing chaos.

A good approach for restaurants is to always test different content by retargeting advertisements. By doing so, you can find the correct audience and keywords for your restaurant.

Create a clear navigation strategy

Experts say that a clear road map is essential for resulting in strong ROIs. For instance, if you want solid reviews for your restaurant, you need to have a proper plan for employees and franchisees. You could offer franchisees additional cash if they helped you reach a wider customer base. Another example while keeping in mind the ultimate goal of boosting reviews is to improve the response rate for reviews. Instead of simply responding with damage control for negative reviews, a restaurant can treat positive reviews with a free lunch maybe. This can really boost a brand with word of mouth.

Collect consumer data

Further advice from the experts say that gathering consumer data is essential in building a successful digital campaign. Restaurants in particular should always be on the lookout for ways to gather data and analyze the available data. Mobile campaigns are very useful in collecting data from customers when they visit restaurants.

In the process of collecting information, be careful as to not get lost in the vast amount of data and try to do everything at once. Focus initially on fundamental data; you will rarely go wrong when working on fundamentals.

Work on delivering your promise

Your restaurant may have the best review management, mobile apps, restaurant LED signs, loyalty programs and digital menus but if you don’t deliver what your brand promises, none of these will matter.

Providing a unique restaurant experience to customers is the backbone of success. If this is not strong enough, the advertising and brand will be destroyed in the perspective of a consumer.  In order focus on delivering your promise, understand your audience, market and location thoroughly. A detailed understanding of your audience will help deliver what they expect and as a result, you will stay afloat in the world of digital marketing.